Friday, November 12, 2010

As if almost on cue to khabardrama's long-delayed review of Arif Nizami's Pakistan Today (see previous post: Solid Staid WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/solid-staid.html ), comes news from chacha Majid Nizami's The Nation of large-scale layoffs at the paper there (no, we don't think there's any connection). More than 30 staffers have been summarily dismissed today without any advance warning from the Lahore office alone and several from Islamabad as well. The Peshawar and Karachi bureaus fear that the axe will next fall on them. Economic difficulties are being cited as the only reason. It's not entirely clear yet whether the personnel sacked were the same ones who had recently received long-delayed raises or whether these layoffs had anything to do with the very recent departure of editor Shireen Mazari. It should be kept in mind that Majid Nizami can be a vengeful proprietor. We heard about a peon who was recently summarily sacked after more than 20 years of service, simply because the management suspected that his loyalties may still lie with the embittered former editor (and nephew) Arif Nizami. The Nation does seem to be in freefall. And it's difficult to see how such measures are going to help it meet the challenge posed by the brash new competitors such as Express Tribune and Pakistan Today, both of which have oodles of cash backing them up. REFERENCE: More Sackings at The Nation THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-sackings-at-nation.html

Now read that Mr. Mazhar Abbas, Senior Journalist and a Former Secretary General of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, instead of raising voice against Retrenchment of Working Journalists, is supporting a "Fraud" like Dr. Shahid Masood.

As a mark of protest against the move to ban Dr Shahid Masood’s programme Meray Mutabiq, I withdraw my name from the list of journalists invited to accompany Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on his official visit to Germany and the UK from November 30 to December 4. It does not mean that I agree with Dr Masood’s views, but it is the most undemocratic way and use of dictatorial tactics to silence someone’s voice that has hurt me. I hope the prime minister will order an investigation into the matter and allow Dr Masood to express his views on air. I thank you, Mr Gilani, for inviting me, but after this action my conscience does not allow me to undertake that journey. Dr Masood’s language and views, at times, violate the generally accepted norms of journalism, but the answer is not to gag the press like General (r) Pervez Musharraf did. He too had approached the UAE government in November 2007 to dislodge Geo and ARY from Dubai. Shahid Masood has always been an emotional person. I know him since he was in Sindh Medical College. He used to bring press releases of the Peoples Doctors Forum, PPP’s medical wing, while I was working in an evening newspaper in Karachi. I met him first during a hunger strike by young medical doctors outside Karachi Press Club. He was a great admirer of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Later, I came to know that he went to London and for sometime also worked at the Pakistan Peoples Party Secretariat. During his stay in London, he started writing for an Urdu evening newspaper in Karachi before joining ARY. I may be mistaken, but he too was a ‘jiyala’.

When he joined the channel, the electronic media was in its infancy but his programme “Views on News” started getting a large viewership. The Iraq war gave him the real boost. Dr Masood’s language skills and oratory made him the most popular anchor in the early years of the electronic media in Pakistan. At the same time many started believing that his views had tilted from left to centre, and afterwards from centre to right. During this period he hardly ever cared about the established journalistic norms, but within years he stole the show and became the head of that news channel. Later, he joined Geo and did a successful stint there. Also Geo TV never ‘owned’ his programme, meaning that he was free to speak his mind and the channel saved itself from any possible legal battle. I never liked his joining the state-controlled media organisation and he suffered a credibility loss when he became its managing director – a post he should have never accepted. He remained close to President Asif Ali Zardari for sometime and would not have left the job had Sherry Rehman not been the information minister. Through Meray Mutabiq-II, he made a comeback and to his luck President Zardari’s poor decision of not restoring the deposed judges gave a real boost to his programme’s ratings. The naive move of President Zardari’s camp to use the influence of the UAE authorities will only help Dr Shahid Masood, and the government will be the ultimate loser. As far as life threats to Dr Shahid Masood are concerned I think he should return to Pakistan and resume his programme from here. There are journalists in Pakistan who have bravely faced life threats. My only question, however, is that why recently Dr Masood and Shaheen Sehbai went to meet Asif Zardari as reported by Hamid Mir. All I want to say to Dr Masood is that “Life and death are in the hands of God. Let’s face it, Doctor sahib.” REFERENCE: Media under attack — again Mazhar Abbas Ex-secretary general, PFUJ Wednesday, November 25, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=210260

Now read how "Ignorant Mr Mazhar Abbas" is and Mr. Mazhar was supporting a Fraud like Dr. Shahid Masood.

LAHORE: Noted TV show host Dr Shahid Masood is surrounded by yet another controversy after the surfacing of allegations regarding his role in forcing Dr Shazia Khalid out of the country. Shazia had alleged that an army officer had raped her in a hospital while she was serving in Balochistan in 2005. The controversy is associated with an email circulated with the name of noted defence analyst Dr Ayesha Siddiqa. The email said Dr Shahid Masood and another person, Mohsin Baig, harassed Dr Shazia, warning her that she and her family would be assassinated if they did not leave the country immediately and if the proceedings of her case were not halted in Pakistan. Dr Shazia was quoted as saying that Dr Shahid and Mohsin Baig made her rush out of the country. Daily Times tried contacting Dr Shahid a number of times for comments, but failed to get through. British refusal: Also, documents obtained from reliable sources in the British Home Office revealed that Masood was denied asylum in the United Kingdom for fraudulent practices.

According to the documents, he travelled to the UK on April 26, 2000, with his family. Masood sought asylum in Britain on May 3, 2000, but his request was denied by the British authorities who stated, “On June 9, 2000, a decision was made to give directions for his removal from the United Kingdom as mentioned in Section 16(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 and to refuse to grant asylum under paragraph 336 of HC 395.” Paragraph 336 of HC 395 authorises British officials concerned to remove any individual who enters the UK illegally. While giving the reasons for the rejection, the authorities wrote, “He claimed to have entered the United Kingdom on April 26, 2000, using a Pakistani passport of which he was not the rightful owner, accompanied by his daughter and his sister and her two children.” Dr Shahid attached a statement of evidence form SEF3 dated May 16, 2000, asylum interview record SEF4 dated June 5, 2000, and other documents supporting his application. The document mentioned Home Office Reference Number M1045053, and Port Reference Number EDD/00/4390. REFERENCE: Another controversy surrounds Dr Shahid Masood * Email claims TV anchor had role in forcing rape victim Dr Shazia out of country * Masood denied UK asylum for faudulent practices Staff Report Saturday, June 19, 2010 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/19-Jun-2010/another-controversy-surrounds-dr-shahid-masood

LAHORE: Iftikhar Ahmed, the host of Geo TV show ‘Jawabdeh’, resigned on Sunday after the channel administration refused to air an interview with former Pakistan Television managing director Shahid Masood. The interview was recorded last week and was being advertised in the group’s The News and Jang newspapers. On Sunday, the Geo TV administration seized the original recording and declined to run it. Iftikhar Ahmed told Aaj Kal he was being pressured to censor parts of the interview but he did not compromise on principles and resigned. aaj kal report REFERENCE: Geo ‘Jawabdeh’ host Iftikhar Ahmed resigns in protest Monday, November 17, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\11\17\story_17-11-2008_pg7_34

Former PTV chief Dr Shahid Masood. — File - ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Television Corporation has served legal notice on its former chief Dr Shahid Masood for recovery of Rs5.1 million which he had to pay as per his contract before leaving the organisation. Acting Secretary Information and Broadcasting Mansoor Sohail informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that on May 27 the PTVC had sent the legal notice to the former PTV managing director, who also held the additional charge of its chairmanship for some time. The issue came before the PAC when it was scrutinising the ministry’s audit report for the year 2008-09. The cabinet secretariat vide its notification dated June 21, 2008, appointed Dr Shahid Masood as managing director of PTVC with the additional charge of chairmanship. He assumed the charge on the same date. As per appointment letter dated June 27, 2008, his contract period was five years and in case of early termination of the contract a notice of six months was required from either side or gross salary in lieu thereof. The gross salary of the officer was fixed at Rs850,000 per month.

Dr Masood tendered resignation which was accepted by the prime minister with effect from November 3, 2008. The officer did not serve the notice of six months and, therefore, was liable to pay the gross salary amounting to Rs5.1 million in lieu of the notice period. The irregularity was reported to the management on April 2, 2009, and to the ministry on June 1, 2009. PAC Chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali said when it came to public money no favour should be done to anybody; therefore, the committee backed PTVC’s decision to serve legal notice on Dr Masood. Commenting on the overall working of the information ministry, the PAC chairman said the ministry was keeping its various operations secret which over the years had cast shadow over its affairs. Accepting that the ministry during PML-N’s two terms in power also remained involved in such activities, Mr Nisar called for a serious re-examining of its working. “Until this day, I am unable to understand why the ministry keeps a secret fund,” he said, warning that next time the PAC would like to know each and every penny spent by the ministry.

PTV FOUNDATION: The PAC directed the secretary information, who is also chairman of the PTV, to wind up its foundation whose affairs over the years had gone from bad to worse. Mr Sohail informed the committee that since taking over the charge of the ministry, he had a couple of meetings with the foundation’s board of directors and found it was not a viable option. In response, the PAC chairman said the committee also recommended the same and was willing to extend help to the PTV administration. The PTV board of directors in its meeting held on August 28, 2001, had approved incorporation of the PTV foundation. As per its charter, the foundation was established to carry on the business of advertising, publishing, film making, drama production to establish, operate studios, theatres and other institutions for the promotion of science, art and culture. So far the foundation has consumed Rs30 million loaned money but failed to start even a single project. REFERENCE: Notice served on former PTV chief Shahid Masood By Khawar Ghumman Wednesday, 02 Jun, 2010 http://news.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/islamabad/recovery-of-rs5.1m-notice-served-on-former-ptv-chief-260

Real Face of Dr Shahid Masood

Dr Shahid Masood is basically a Sanctimonious Prick and a first class intellectual Dishonest, he started his career from ARY when it's no good founder Haji Abdul Razzaq Yaqub aka Gold (a money launderer and Gold smuggler) was facing Accountability Cases and when Shahid was there he used to sermon everyone and used to say things for which he now attack others if they say the same things on Military, Fall of Dhaka etc.etc and he was very fond of Dr A Q Khan and attacked Musharraf for forcing A Q Khan to admit proliferation. He later became pragmatic and became the fast friend of not only Musharraf but also joined even worse Bordello "The Jang Group and GEO" and exploited the Lal Masjid issue and wrote False Columns in Daily Jang and The News and rascals like Mazhar Abbas, Hamid Mir, Ansar Abbasi, Ahmed Noorani, Shaheen Sehbai , Kamran Khan and Mir Shakil ran campaign in his favour , therefore don't just blame Dr Shahid but every Media House for running amok and for ruining sanity in Pakistan ! Watch and enjoy

Dr Shahid Masood's Journey from ARY to GEO

News are sometimes wrong, says Shahid Masood after SBP refutes claim (Dunya News TV 26 Jan 2018) Frauds, Intellectual Dishonest and Masquerades like Mazhar Abbas, Hamid Mir, Ahmad Noorani, Ansar Abbasi , Talat Hussain and their head-pope Mir Shakil ur Rehman and their 3rd rate News group Jang which has accommodated Touts like Kamran Khan and established Yellow Journalism in Pakistan and institutionalized Corruption in Journalism cannot just put all the blame of yellow journalism on a third rate Dr Shahid Masood (worse than a police informer) , Jang Group is equally responsible for ruining the journalism in Pakistan

Dr Shahid Masood's Lies from GEO TV and More Lies from News One

KARACHI: Renowned anchorperson and news analyst, Dr Shahid Masood, has assumed the responsibilities of President of ARY Digital Network, ARY NEWS has reported. “Dr Shahid Masood has joined ARY Digital Network as President. He will be the administrative head of all the sub companies of the network,” said an announcement by the group issued here Thursday. Salman Iqbal, CEO and MD of the group, has felicitated Dr Masood on assuming new responsibilities and wished him a good luck, the channel reports. Dr. Shahid Masood will also host the ARY News programme Views on News. REFERENCE: Dr Shahid Masood joins ARY Network Updated: Thursday June 3, 2010 8:48:25 PM http://www.thearynews.com/english/newsdetail.asp?nid=49918